John's Horror Banana-nanza Episode Twelve : The Ugly

Updated on December 30, 2011

Good to see that this movie was seen by...a critic.

Today, we're going to review one of the best horror flicks I've ever seen. Does this mean it's the best ever made? No. To each his demented own. Today's movie is "The Ugly", a movie starring Paolo Rotundo that was imported from New Zealand, the land of such great flicks as "Dead Alive" and, uh...that really long one with the rings and midgets and wizards.

The movie opens in a blue tinted hallway, where an attendant of a hospital named Marge is wondering around with 3-D glasses, apparently waiting for an actually useful reason to use them. Of course, we all know one still hasn't come. The whole movie uses blue and red, while the blood takes on a black color. Everything seems surreal and out of place, and the movie leaves you with a sense of confusion and fright. Karen, who was requested by serial killer Simon Cartwright to review his case, arrives late and is accosted by Marge in the hallway. There are two guards that constantly harass Simon, putting bags on his head, spitting in his food, whatever gets him angry.

Once Karen meets Simon, he brings up the fact that she had taken this case just for publicity. He claims he kills people because he is something called "The Ugly". But throughout the movie, his story changes. At one point, The Ugly appears to him in the mirror. At another point, there is more than one Ugly. Some of them are the people he's killed, others are just unknown people. Simon seems to have the ability to get inside people's heads, and doesn't take long to get into Karen's. He makes her feel sorry for him because of stories of his abusive mother. Then she believes that he's in her house after she goes home. However, she can't seem to see how difficult it is to separate time and thoughts for Simon, who meanders from story to story while describing how he ended up in this situation.

I can't really go too into detail with this movie. A similar movie would be "Seven" , or "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." However, this movie is effective because it actually pulls the viewer into the same sympathetic state that the character Karen goes into for Simon, when in reality, he is simply a murderer. The ending is a bit problematic, but it simply adds to the surrealness of the film and leaves you chomping at the bit to see it again.

This is an excellent movie. Look for the trailer on Youtube, or look for movie clips online if you don't believe me. But I'm not here to convince you...just inform.